Responding to The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s (RCPCH) State of Child Health 2026 report, Professor David Strain, BMA board of science chair and Dr Heather Grimbaldeston, BMA public health medicine committee chair said:

"This report paints a worrying picture of children's health in the UK, and all signs indicate that things are heading in the wrong direction. Behind the statistics are children growing up with poorer physical and mental health, widening inequalities and preventable illness. We are already seeing the consequences of this in the wealth disparities highlighted in the Milburn Review, with more and more young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

"Doctors see every day how poverty, deprivation and unequal access to healthcare shape a child's chances long before they become seriously ill. Whether it is falling vaccination rates, rising obesity, worsening mental health or higher infant mortality, these are not isolated problems - they are symptoms of a system that has failed to invest in public health systems, prevention and in the services families rely on.

"If the Government is serious about creating the healthiest generation of children ever, it must match that ambition with action. This means not just investment in NHS workforce and providing fully protected, fully ring-fenced funding for child health services, including health visiting, to deliver timely care and support, but Government must tackle wider issues like poverty, housing and wider structural factors that affect health. A healthy life should not be a postcode lottery; every child deserves the best possible start in life."

ENDS

Notes to editors

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.